diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index d5c4c74e4..25b9ef6da 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -228,6 +228,7 @@ libxkbcommon_sources = [
     'src/text.h',
     'src/utf8.c',
     'src/utf8.h',
+    'src/util-mem.h',
     'src/utils.c',
     'src/utils.h',
 ]
@@ -364,6 +365,7 @@ if get_option('enable-xkbregistry')
         'src/utils.c',
         'src/util-list.h',
         'src/util-list.c',
+        'src/util-mem.h',
     ]
     libxkbregistry_link_args = []
     libxkbregistry_link_deps = []
diff --git a/src/registry.c b/src/registry.c
index cd1560e7e..19b2b36c4 100644
--- a/src/registry.c
+++ b/src/registry.c
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 #include "xkbcommon/xkbregistry.h"
 #include "utils.h"
 #include "util-list.h"
+#include "util-mem.h"
 
 struct rxkb_object;
 
@@ -803,9 +804,9 @@ parse_model(struct rxkb_context *ctx, xmlNode *model,
 
         /* new model */
         m = rxkb_model_create(&ctx->base);
-        m->name = config.name;
-        m->description = config.description;
-        m->vendor = config.vendor;
+        m->name = steal(&config.name);
+        m->description = steal(&config.description);
+        m->vendor = steal(&config.vendor);
         m->popularity = config.popularity;
         list_append(&ctx->models, &m->base.link);
     }
@@ -894,10 +895,10 @@ parse_variant(struct rxkb_context *ctx, struct rxkb_layout *l,
             list_init(&v->iso639s);
             list_init(&v->iso3166s);
             v->name = strdup(l->name);
-            v->variant = config.name;
-            v->description = config.description;
+            v->variant = steal(&config.name);
+            v->description = steal(&config.description);
             // if variant omits brief, inherit from parent layout.
-            v->brief = config.brief == NULL ? strdup_safe(l->brief) : config.brief;
+            v->brief = config.brief == NULL ? strdup_safe(l->brief) : steal(&config.brief);
             v->popularity = config.popularity;
             list_append(&ctx->layouts, &v->base.link);
 
@@ -979,10 +980,10 @@ parse_layout(struct rxkb_context *ctx, xmlNode *layout,
         l = rxkb_layout_create(&ctx->base);
         list_init(&l->iso639s);
         list_init(&l->iso3166s);
-        l->name = config.name;
+        l->name = steal(&config.name);
         l->variant = NULL;
-        l->description = config.description;
-        l->brief = config.brief;
+        l->description = steal(&config.description);
+        l->brief = steal(&config.brief);
         l->popularity = config.popularity;
         list_append(&ctx->layouts, &l->base.link);
     } else {
@@ -1034,8 +1035,8 @@ parse_option(struct rxkb_context *ctx, struct rxkb_option_group *group,
         }
 
         o = rxkb_option_create(&group->base);
-        o->name = config.name;
-        o->description = config.description;
+        o->name = steal(&config.name);
+        o->description = steal(&config.description);
         o->popularity = config.popularity;
         list_append(&group->options, &o->base.link);
     }
@@ -1063,8 +1064,8 @@ parse_group(struct rxkb_context *ctx, xmlNode *group,
 
     if (!exists) {
         g = rxkb_option_group_create(&ctx->base);
-        g->name = config.name;
-        g->description = config.description;
+        g->name = steal(&config.name);
+        g->description = steal(&config.description);
         g->popularity = config.popularity;
 
         multiple = xmlGetProp(group, (const xmlChar*)"allowMultipleSelection");
diff --git a/src/util-mem.h b/src/util-mem.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a2e781039
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util-mem.h
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT */
+/*
+ * Copyright © 2020 Red Hat, Inc.
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a
+ * copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"),
+ * to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation
+ * the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense,
+ * and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the
+ * Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+ *
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice (including the next
+ * paragraph) shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the
+ * Software.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+ * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT.  IN NO EVENT SHALL
+ * THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+ * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING
+ * FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER
+ * DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
+ */
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include "config.h"
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
+static inline void*
+_steal(void *ptr) {
+    void **original = (void**)ptr;
+    void *swapped = *original;
+    *original = NULL;
+    return swapped;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Resets the pointer content and resets the data to NULL.
+ */
+#ifdef _WIN32
+#define steal(ptr_) \
+    _steal(ptr_)
+#else
+#define steal(ptr_) \
+    (__typeof__(*ptr_))_steal(ptr_)
+#endif
diff --git a/src/xkbcomp/compat.c b/src/xkbcomp/compat.c
index 1df9e0376..bb45c692e 100644
--- a/src/xkbcomp/compat.c
+++ b/src/xkbcomp/compat.c
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@
 #include "action.h"
 #include "vmod.h"
 #include "include.h"
+#include "util-mem.h"
 
 enum si_field {
     SI_FIELD_VIRTUAL_MOD = (1 << 0),
@@ -393,8 +394,7 @@ MergeIncludedCompatMaps(CompatInfo *into, CompatInfo *from,
     into->mods = from->mods;
 
     if (into->name == NULL) {
-        into->name = from->name;
-        from->name = NULL;
+        into->name = steal(&from->name);
     }
 
     if (darray_empty(into->interps)) {
@@ -440,8 +440,7 @@ HandleIncludeCompatMap(CompatInfo *info, IncludeStmt *include)
 
     InitCompatInfo(&included, info->ctx, 0 /* unused */,
                    info->actions, &info->mods);
-    included.name = include->stmt;
-    include->stmt = NULL;
+    included.name = steal(&include->stmt);
 
     for (IncludeStmt *stmt = include; stmt; stmt = stmt->next_incl) {
         CompatInfo next_incl;
diff --git a/src/xkbcomp/keycodes.c b/src/xkbcomp/keycodes.c
index 700cd1c3f..3e3254d19 100644
--- a/src/xkbcomp/keycodes.c
+++ b/src/xkbcomp/keycodes.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include "text.h"
 #include "expr.h"
 #include "include.h"
+#include "util-mem.h"
 
 typedef struct {
     enum merge_mode merge;
@@ -268,8 +269,7 @@ MergeIncludedKeycodes(KeyNamesInfo *into, KeyNamesInfo *from,
     }
 
     if (into->name == NULL) {
-        into->name = from->name;
-        from->name = NULL;
+        into->name = steal(&from->name);
     }
 
     /* Merge key names. */
@@ -348,8 +348,7 @@ HandleIncludeKeycodes(KeyNamesInfo *info, IncludeStmt *include)
     }
 
     InitKeyNamesInfo(&included, info->ctx, 0 /* unused */);
-    included.name = include->stmt;
-    include->stmt = NULL;
+    included.name = steal(&include->stmt);
 
     for (IncludeStmt *stmt = include; stmt; stmt = stmt->next_incl) {
         KeyNamesInfo next_incl;
diff --git a/src/xkbcomp/symbols.c b/src/xkbcomp/symbols.c
index 0c4fbebd6..4492a737e 100644
--- a/src/xkbcomp/symbols.c
+++ b/src/xkbcomp/symbols.c
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@
 #include "vmod.h"
 #include "include.h"
 #include "keysym.h"
+#include "util-mem.h"
 
 
 enum key_repeat {
@@ -518,8 +519,7 @@ MergeIncludedSymbols(SymbolsInfo *into, SymbolsInfo *from,
     into->mods = from->mods;
 
     if (into->name == NULL) {
-        into->name = from->name;
-        from->name = NULL;
+        into->name = steal(&from->name);
     }
 
     group_names_in_both = MIN(darray_size(into->group_names),
@@ -579,8 +579,7 @@ HandleIncludeSymbols(SymbolsInfo *info, IncludeStmt *include)
 
     InitSymbolsInfo(&included, info->keymap, 0 /* unused */,
                     info->actions, &info->mods);
-    included.name = include->stmt;
-    include->stmt = NULL;
+    included.name = steal(&include->stmt);
 
     for (IncludeStmt *stmt = include; stmt; stmt = stmt->next_incl) {
         SymbolsInfo next_incl;
diff --git a/src/xkbcomp/types.c b/src/xkbcomp/types.c
index f22c9ef07..404bfea28 100644
--- a/src/xkbcomp/types.c
+++ b/src/xkbcomp/types.c
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #include "vmod.h"
 #include "expr.h"
 #include "include.h"
+#include "util-mem.h"
 
 enum type_field {
     TYPE_FIELD_MASK = (1 << 0),
@@ -192,8 +193,7 @@ MergeIncludedKeyTypes(KeyTypesInfo *into, KeyTypesInfo *from,
     into->mods = from->mods;
 
     if (into->name == NULL) {
-        into->name = from->name;
-        from->name = NULL;
+        into->name = steal(&from->name);
     }
 
     if (darray_empty(into->types)) {
@@ -228,8 +228,7 @@ HandleIncludeKeyTypes(KeyTypesInfo *info, IncludeStmt *include)
     }
 
     InitKeyTypesInfo(&included, info->ctx, 0 /* unused */, &info->mods);
-    included.name = include->stmt;
-    include->stmt = NULL;
+    included.name = steal(&include->stmt);
 
     for (IncludeStmt *stmt = include; stmt; stmt = stmt->next_incl) {
         KeyTypesInfo next_incl;